Main streets at a crossroad: Experiences from Australia

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This webinar is part of a series of events to mark the 40th anniversary of the OECD Local Employment and Economic Development (LEED) Programme, including reflecting on the lessons learned from the past 40 years of the local development, and the direction that needs be taken for the future. LEED was created in 1982, when OECD governments were struggling to provide solutions to the jobs crisis of the day and saw a need for an international forum to share innovative approaches to local job creation, social inclusion and economic development. Since then, it has continued to bring together policy makers and practitioners from around the world to identify, evaluate and disseminate promising approaches to local development. 

A conversation with Elizabeth Joldeski, Executive Officer, Mainstreet Australia

Main streets are both economic and social hubs for local communities by providing access to employment, services and goods, and by serving as community gathering points. For example, in Victoria, Australia, Main Streets account for 12% of the state’s jobs and generate over AUD 50 billion in economic value annually. However, across the OECD these “hearts” of communities are facing increasing pressures, as a result of digitalisation, demographic change, and short-term shocks, such as COVID-19 and inflation. Join this conversation to hear about the last activities, challenges and trends shaping main streets across Australia and new policy approaches that are needed in response. 

Moderated by Anna Rubin, Manager of the OECD Local Development Forum

Read more on the webinar serie here and read the summary here.

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Executive Officer at  |  + posts

Liz Joldeski is an impact-driven leader with 20+ years’ experience in economic development, government relations, leadership, strategy, stakeholder engagement, collaboration/strategic industry partnerships. With a talent for planning and establishing collaborative, integrated project, and engagement teams, she has successfully delivered on strategic, commercial, and investment outcomes. As a proven connector and negotiator, Liz creates strong strategic alliances and partnerships to develop and deliver innovative solutions. She is a Graduate member of the AICD, hold a Master’s in Public Policy and Management, and a Bachelor of Commerce.

Policy Analyst at  | Website |  + posts

Anna Rubin is a Counsellor with the OECD’s Local Economic and Employment Development Programme and the Manager of the OECD Local Development Forum. Previously, she was the Counsellor to the Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities and an Analyst in the Inclusive Growth team in the Office of the OECD Secretary-General. She also served as the project lead for the 2019 Regional Development Policy Ministerial Meeting, in which over 40 countries endorsed a joint Declaration on “Building Better Futures for Regions, Cities and Rural Areas. Prior to the OECD, she worked at a variety of policy levels, ranging from San Francisco’s Department of Children, Youth, and their Families to UNESCO. She has a B.A. in Psychology and a Master of Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley.